The Mountain Xpress has a great article by Rebecca Bowe on the Ashevillage Building Convergence. Rebecca will be on the scene during the event as well, so look for more great Mountain Xpress coverage in the coming days and weeks.
The seeds for the Ashevillage Building Convergence were sown a dozen years ago when a small group of people in Portland, Ore., transformed a run-of-the-mill intersection into an attractive public gathering space. They built an earthen teahouse, planted gardens, erected a kiosk for fliers and poetry, painted a vibrant design on the pavement, threw a block party and dubbed their creation “Share-it Square.”
What they didn’t do was ask permission first.
That drew the ire of city officials, who took a dim view of nonpermitted structures. But the grass-roots project proved wildly popular, and four years later, the Portland City Council approved an ordinance making such community-based enhancement efforts legal.
